Garden of the Future
The July 16 piece on xeriscape, “Beauty, Ease, Economy of Flower-Filled Dry Garden” by Robert Smaus, was an excellent description of what is possible in Southern California when one considers the oxymoron less is more.
Garden Editor Smaus correctly predicts water shortages in the not-too-distant future. Those readers taking his advice now will have a mature, beautiful garden in place when water supplies become tighter. Few people realize that the average family in California uses about 163,000 gallons of water a year--half of that outdoors where real savings can be achieved. Smaus has shown the way.
As one of the sponsors of the xeriscape garden at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, Metropolitan Water District has long advocated a return to California native plants and imports from similar climates that use little water, yet burst with color or offer attractive ground cover.
Your readers are invited to contact the Metropolitan Water District at P.O. Box 54153, Los Angeles 90054, for free copies of colorful and informative brochures that will help them plan and maintain a drought-resistant garden.
If just one-fourth of the families reading the Sunday Times takes Smaus’ advice, the water savings would approach a staggering 14 billion-gallons-per-year savings.
CARL BORONKAY
Los Angeles
Boronkay is general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
